PRETTY AS CAN BE

ELgin Bolling AUTHORSTREAM WINNER PPT

That's right folks! It's OFFICIAL! I didnt want to talk about it until I actually had the physical item in my hands, but YES, your's truly, THE SUBWAYSURFER, thanks to the wonderful folks at authorSTREAM, is now a "member" of the "Steve Jobs Apple Club!"
I've wanted to be a member for YEARS!! Before I tell you MY story, which I KEEP retelling, let me tell you about authorSTREAM. If you like using powerpoint presentation software as much as I do, then you'll love their platform. the folks at authorSTREAM enable you to upload your presentations for your friends and clients to download,and share. There are conferencing features also that I haven't investigated, but best of all, their platform offers a way to load your presentation straight to youtube, faster than you can say...er... YOUTUBE! LOL! That was ultimately MY reason for signing up in the first place.
I use POWERPOINT extensively for my sequential art work and presentations. It's the first graphics program I learned how to use , so there was always this nostalgic value associated with it as well. I wanted to upload some of my presentations to the web but became increasingly frustrated not being able to find a program that would do it EASILY. I dont owe a CURRENT version of PPT which I guess would make this easier, so I was at a loss what to do...
Until I found authorSTREAM that took all the guesswork out of it.
I uploaded my "Father's Day Comic/presentation" to the site first, because it was completed, for one, and It was something I was very proud of. I drew/wrote the story for my own Father as a Father's day gift. I wanted to share with him a memory, rather than the usual "tie and card". Who would have ever guessed that presentation would touch the hearts of so many? Literally overnight, the presentation got close to a hundred views in less than a 24 hour period! and WON!!! For those of you who think GOD DOESN'T perform miracles today, all I can say is, You have your opinion.... I have my iPAD!

Amused and Confused Female Drawing on the Train by subwaysurfer

Two ladies I saw on the train with two interesting expressions! one Looked OOverly amused and the other overly confused! I LOVE IT!

KING OF NEW YORK HACKS BLOGSITE REVIEW by Subwaysurfer

Stumbled across a WONDERFUL Blog this morning that is written by an authentic New York City Cabbie , who we in New Yawk refer to as "HACKS" Dont ask me about the origin of the slang, I really dont know....
According to the Blurb on the Blogsite the author writes...

One of the few NYC born and bred Yellow Taxi Drivers who brings laughter and provokes thought for the meager price of a fare...and a tip of course.

 The current post on the blog , as of this writing, is on September 11th. The Post is touching and powerful. Seen from the eyes of a New York City Cab driver with the soul of a poet. Here is an excerpt from that page:

...So I took my annual walk around Ground Zero on the 8th of September this year. I went in early just like I did when I worked at 4 World Trade so many years ago. I spent most of the morning walking into many of the places I used to walk by or stop in, and went to many new places as the downtown that existed before our Freedom was attacked and The World Trade center was evaporated whilst murdering my friends and fellow Americans, has developed over the last year and it was the first time I felt good and felt enthusiastic about our future being that for NINE years it has been just a pit....that has left a pit in many. I won't let people not remember this day or try to put a different spin on it to make it some kind of holiday that they can capitalize on. This happened. We must REMEMBER....

This is just a taste of what you will experiecne when you check out this great blog. I encourage you to viist DAILY .

http://kingofnewyorkhacks.blogspot.com/

I LOVE TO DRAW A GOOFY LOOKING GURL

APOLOGY TO ALL MY VIEWERS By Subwaysurfer

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO APOLOGY

This message goes out to all my loyal viewers, and now since there is audio on some of the posts, my loyal listeners as well. Please accept my humble sincere apology for being SELFISH, SELF CENTERED, EGOCENTRIC and VAIN.
You tune in regularly, you increase my numbers and visibility, you enjoy and comment on my artwork and writing, and you help to raise my self esteem and encourage me to be a better artist.

And WHAT have I Given YOU?
For the most part,
I DON'T visit YOUR blogs
I DON'T look at your pictures
I DON'T even stop by to say so much as "HI" to you.

No. I just keep on posting picture after picture, poem after poem, rant after rant, all the time patting myself on the back for being "witty, thought provoking, and interesting"

If I was at a party I'd walk away from a person like me and find someone REALLY interesting.

It is for this reason that I am sending out this APOLOGY to all my viewers. I want to change. I want you to know that I DO appreciate you, I DO LOVE WHAT you do, and now that I see what my shortcomings were and are, I will try my best to reach out and touch you as much as you've reached out to touch me.

This is what I promise.
I hope you will forgive me.
And keep tuning in to this blogs as I tune in to your blog.
Love and Respect

Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling.

SORRY ABOUT ALL THE COMMERCIALS FOLKS!

Sorry about all the commercials folks,and THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. Let me tell you FIRST of all, if I've NEVER told you before that I LOVE and APPRECIATE you as an audience. You have helped by your faithful attendance and tuning in daily to make SUBWAYSURFER BLOGGG one of the most watched Blogs online. Your viewership has prompted me to draw more and more and improve my craft as an artist, and I THANK YOU for it.

Iv been putting up a lot of ads lately because quite frankly I HATE to be a member of the starving artists club. It aint fun, and Ive seen enough subway derelicts to know that people would just as soon throw me on the third rail in front of an express train than give me quarters if I start begging on the trains... thus, the need and the desire to do a little self promotion here.

This blog WILL NOT turn into another "MARKETING BLOG" a way to "make money" That would be disrespectful to YOU the viewers.Rest assured that you can look forward to the same zany drawings of those crazy NYC commuters that Ive been entertaining you with for years.

Im beginning to see a couple of other "subwaysurfers" on the web these days, and that's cool I guess. I didn't invent drawing on the trains... but I SURE AS HECK PERFECTED IT! so stay tuned here! the best is yet to come...

And if you LIKE the art, and some of the things I'm offering, than by all means,

BUY SOME WILL ya??

Market yourself like OPRAH Does - cartoonist ELGIN SUBWAYSURFER BOLLING Shows Your how to market/brand yourself like Oprah!

Commercial "CARICATURE IS WHAT I DO! by ELGIN SUBWAYSURFER BOLLING

CARICATURE IS WHAT I DO! LISTEN TO THE AUDIO!

MASTER PLAN PRODUCTIONS Music Studio Ad by Elgin Bolling

 

Every  now and then Im reminded that I used to be a graphic artist and was hired to make flyers one page,quarter page and full  page Ads, like THIS one that I'm doing for a friend. He wants to remain nameless, but has actually toured all over the world working for some of the biggest names in the music industry behind the  scenes. He personally has helped me to get some of the things I want to do musically off the ground, and if you're in the NYC area, and are SERIOUS about learning music production, Piano, and how to sing and record in the STUDIO  you really should give him a call, TRUST ME its WORTH YOUR TIME!

The Art Jumble Blog: Elgin SUBWAYSURFER Bolling's 5 Best pics

The Art Jumble Blog: Elgin SUBWAYSURFER Bolling's 5 Best pics

AFRICAN AMERICAN CARICATURE ARTIST Elgin Bolling

As a busy subwaysurfer slash extreme life drawer on the trains of NYC, I frequently run into people who just cant resist, to my delight, booking me to draw at their party. After seeing me hilariously and quickly draw their fellow commuters quickly, they correctly assume, "hmmmm, if he's THAT good drawing them while they're NOT even paying attention to him, he must really be good drawing them LIVE when they actually know it. And yes, they are right. Ive booked a lot of parties that way, particularly in the Black Community.
I never really thought about it, but a lot of my African American clients have booked me as a result of seeing me draw on the trains. I constantly get the comment, "I've never seen a BLACK MAN do this before," or "I NEVER thought of having an artist for my party before!" Traditionally, us Black Folks LOVE to party! Food is a MUST and of course the DJ HAS to be good! but as far as a caricature artist is concerned.... well, that's something that "other" people do. People who have deeper pockets, or have Bar Bat Mitzvahs.
After quizzing some black folk on why they don't use caricature artists the answer is, "I dont know any black ones". Now on the surface that SOUNDS racist, doesn't it? I mean after all, the ART should be neutral. If artist is skilled, fast, and can make the picture look like you, well, it shouldn't make a difference WHAT color he or she is and YES I AGREE with this viewpoint.

BUT...

I still think it's GOOD for Black People,African Americans, Colored Folk, to Hire African American Artists, If possible.

IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM

As People of color,who have been in some ways, marginalized and compartmentalized by society, it's important that we see each other doing other things that traditionally we haven't seen.
It's INSPIRING to Black People, especially children to see an AFRICAN AMERICAN Doctor, Lawyer, Pharmacist, and yes, CARICATURE ARTIST.
When a child, and a people see others in these professions it causes them to drewam. it makes them say, HEY! maybe I can do that TOO!
Because President Obama is in office as of this writing, MILLIONS of Black males are sitting up a little straighter and dreaming a little higher, AND feeling a little better about this country in general.
It warms my heart when a African American child looks at my picture , then says to me,
" I want to be an artist JUST LIKE YOU" when I grow up"
I NEVER get tired of hearing that, and Ive heard it a lot over the years.

One last thing....
One of the reasons that IM a professional Caricature artist TODAY is because of an African American Caricature/cartoonist named OVERTON LLOYD.

Overton drew cartoons for PHARLAMENT FUNKADELIC back in the Day and Gave life to George Clinton's outrageous characters like STARCHILD and SIR NOSE DAVOIDOFFUNK!
Overton drew a caricature of my friend, Dennis at a party and i was amazed that a BLACK MAN did this. I couldn't keep my eyes off the picture! and while I didn't get a chance to be drawn by myself, just SEEING that planted a seed in my little artists heart, that grew up into the "TREE" that I am today.

Dreams DO come true, when BLACK CHILDREN have something or someone to hang them on.

THIS CARICATURE ARTIST IS CRAZY FAST Meet ADAM PATE!

This is my buddy ADAM PATE a quick draw artist who THANKFULLY doesnt live in my part of town! LOL Adams strong point is his speed and man can he rock!

MY PERSONAL 911 STORY by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

Sept 11th sticks out in my mind because it was on that day that I was starting, for me, a "new life" artistically speaking. I worked for years as a freelance artist doing illustration "the old fashioned way" by hand at my drawing board laboring for hours. I grew accustomed to working that way because it was what I was taught, what I'd always done, and it worked. I began to notice that I had my head stuck in my drawing board so long that the world had changed and now EVERYONE was doing stuff on computers using programs like Photoshop, and Illustrator.

I swallowed by pride and enrolled in an 8 week course that would bring me up to speed and make me competitive in the marketplace. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. Gorgeous BLUE sky, and Cloudless. It was the perfect backdrop for a new beginning, and as I got off the bus in Boro Park, I waiting patiently for my connecting bus.

I looked up into the sky and noticed something peculiar. Seemingly out of "No Where" I saw what looked like, at first glance, confetti falling to the ground. It reminded me of a ticker tape parade Mayor Giuliani would throw each year for the Yankees after winning the World Series. As the paper hit the ground and became more visible I could see that they were 8X11 pieces of paper Seconds later,. a man ran up to me holding a sheet, exclaiming, "look at this!" I examined it and saw that it was a page from a larger business document, but how did it get HERE?

I looked to my left, and that's when I saw it. Thick black smoke in the sky coming from the direction of the World Trade Center. I didn't know WHAT to think as I boarded my connecting bus and when to my school.

When I arrived the TV set was on, and that's when I knew that we were under attack. I watched the broadcast in shock along with my teacher and other classmates not knowing what to do, and lacking words... NO ONE knew what to say... Incredibly my instructor broke the silence. "Let's go ahead and have class," he said, so we all sat down at our computers as he gave us our first Photoshop lesson.

I am now very proficient in Photoshop and would be lost without it in my daily work. I don't even REMEMBER the instructor's name that taught me, but will always remember him having the insight and the BRAVERY for going on with the class in the face of this tragedy. For a few brief hours we all were made to forget what happening outside as we focused on the lesson, and for ME at least, it helped to focus me for what I would be facing that day.

Sept 11 we Remember by Elgin Bolling

To The men and women who died
To the Parents who cried
To the husband who lost his spouse
To the mother who comes home to an empty house
To New York's Bravest
Who fought so valiantly to save us
To all the selfless volunteers
To all of you who've shed your tears
And to the God who calms our fears
On the 11th of September
We will always Remember
What we lost
and what we won
There's so much left to be done

Elgin Bolling

The love letter

LABOR DAY CARICATURE GIG by Elgin Bolling

Did a Labor day gig on a street called "NATIONAL DRIVE" in Brooklyn. What could be MORE "Labor Day ish" than doing a gig on "NATIONAL DRIVE?" Much thanks to my gracious host for hiring me for his annual party. I always look forward to coming to his home to draw and entertain his guests. The great thing about his party is that since he's a repeat client I get the opportunity to draw a lot of the same kids year after year and see how they've grown and how my art style had improved.

This is a pic of one of the "bigger kids" , not the host, who posed for a picture. He kept claiming that I made him look like the old skool baseball catcher, "YOGI BERRA"... even though Yogi hads thicker darker eyebrows..darker hair..... tanner complexion.... and is stockier.... it's really amazing the perceptions that people have visually of themselves! His buddies at the party "corrected him"

Comics Power Heals the World

It warms my heart that people in other parts of the world are actually using the medium of COMICS to DO MORE than just make "funny pictures" "soft porn" or "autobiographical egotistical meanderings " as we do so often here in the states where we're either looking to "get paid" or get a photo op. People in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe are using this to make statements, call attention to social and political issues and to give grassroots people a voice to build community. As a political editorial artist myself I see the power in this and definitely want to be a part of it... heck, I AM a part of it already. I need to play a BIGGER PART.

Elgin Bolling Drawing at THE HAMPTONS CLASSIC HORSE SHOW

What an incredible day Sept 4 was! After biting my nails down to stubs worrying all week about what Hurricane EARL would be doing on Saturday... the weather was picture perfect, the breeze was gentle, the horses were jumping , and there I was drawing caricatures under the Big tent to a captivated crowd of children and adults. Drawing at the Hamptons Classic was such an enjoyable event that I refused literally to take a break and ended up drawing five hours continuously, and i can HONESTLY say I did over a hundred drawings all perfect!!!!


sadly, I didn't get an opportunity to draw caricatures of my fellow commuters on the HAMPTONSS JITNEY bus ride over , but I DID manage to capture some fellow commuters on the MTA going to the event and returning home that I'll share in another post.

Here's an excerpt from a press release on the Hampton Classic web site talking about yours truly...

http://www.hamptonclassic.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=159&Itemid=87

Cablevision's Kids Day Shines at Hampton Classic Horse Show
Bridgehampton, NY-September 4, 2010- A beautiful sunny day welcomed children of all ages that came to enjoy Cablevision's Kids Day at the Hampton Classic Horse Show on Saturday.
The Exhibition Kids Tent was filled with exciting activities including the Amazing Zola, the master magician, who mesmerized one and all with his amazing magic tricks. Elgin Bolling, the Caricaturist, was kept busy the entire afternoon offering a free character drawing to anyone who was willing to sit for a couple of minutes, which was difficult to do for most of the children because there was so much to see!

ZOMBIE CARICATURE ARTISTS

Here I am with partner in crime, Kenly disneyland Dillard getting ready for battle on the subway!

HEATWAVE effects kid in subway

The kid is hot and starts to sing...

I cant friggin breathe
in this thing!!

these new mothers
with their kids
they like to wear...
they dont realize
they're cutting off their
babies' air!

Hope the kid survives
his uncomfortable subway ride!

The Heatwave is reallly effecting everyone in nyc and the subways offer no relief! LOL I saw this poor kid sweating up a storm being carried by his mom in one of these "kangaroo like" contraptions that literally straps the kid in like a bad coney island ride. The heat from the mother, combined with the childs, body heat, combined with the heat from the street AND the subwaystation makes for a VVVVVERRRRRY uncomfortable ride.